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“You are a fool not to climb Mt Fuji once, but you are a fool to climb it twice.”(for values greater than two the results are undefined)

Non-fool status achieved! 😀

It’s not a very fun climb; the top of the mountain is completely barren, nothing but rocks and dust and the occasional weed. Also, it’s cold if you stop to rest. At the top, the first things you notice are the automatic vending machines – selling drinks at 3-4x inflated prices.

The sunrise is… a sight to behold.

There are also hordes of other tourists, sheep guided tour groups and foreigners. It’s so crowded, the way up is basically a long line illuminated by flashlights, slowly moving forward, like a ghastly scene from some horror movie. The only thing you hear is the yelling of the sheep herders tour guides, giving important instructions like “be sure to drink enough water” or “we will stop for a short rest”.

Also I wish we had had time to go down to Kawaguchiko for a dip in an onsen, but the damn bus was leaving. Argh.